Energy Efficient Homes
Energy Efficient Homes
BER Certification clearly defines and identifies Energy Efficient Homes. If to be meaningful Energy Efficient Homes should also be sustainable. A home high in energy efficiency today may not be economical to run in another 5 to 10 years time because for example the fossil fuels you are using today may not be freely available then.
The Fossil fuel resources are fast depleting. Energy Efficient Homes are the only answer for the average house owner to tide over these difficult times.
How is energy performance in Households determined?
A BER certification is the true index of your houses energy performance. In new buildings this is now compulsory. But it is not so for the older buildings built during the time when the global impact of environmental pollution was not considered that important and when energy was cheap and available a plenty. A BER Assessor registered with SEI has the necessary training tools, and software to analyze and report on your houses energy performance. The companion document BER advisory report advises you how to improve the energy efficiency of your home.
How does the BER certificate indicate the energy efficiency of your home?
A BER certificate has two important indexes incorporated in it:
- Energy Efficiency
- Carbon Dioxide Emissions
The energy efficiency is indicated by a rating system similar to that in now familiar electrical appliance energy labeling on a scale A to G. The scale also uses a color code varying from Green (‘A’ rating for excellent energy performance) to Red (‘G’ rating for very poor energy efficiency).
The energy efficiency is indicated figuratively in kwh/m2/year.The CO2 emissions are indicated in terms of kg/m2/year.
What elements of a building are considered for energy efficiency assessments?
The following are the major points considered in the BER analysis of a home.
- Walls
- Roof
- Floor dimensions
- Window and Door sizes and their orientations
- Construction type
- Levels of insulation
- Ventilation
- Air tightness
- The systems for heat supply and use of renewable energy
- Distribution and controls
- The type of lighting
It also covers the annual energy usage for;
- Space heating and cooling
- Water heating
- Ventilation
- Lighting
- Pumps and Fans associated with the foregoing
It is compared with that of a notional family dwelling with a standard pattern of occupancy.
Specifically excluded is the usage of electricity for purposes other than heating (cooling), lighting, pumps and fans e.g. usage in cooking, laundry, refrigeration etc.
How is the HES program associated with the BER documentations?
With the BER certificate a BER advisory document advising on the improvements that can be made to a particular household in order to make it energy efficient sufficiently is issued. In HES an older building too is required to provide this report along with a BER certificate exactly the same way as in brand new buildings. The householder has to implement these recommendations and a new set of BER documents obtained afterwards which would indicate the improvement taken place.
The SEI will look into this when making HES implementation grants for householders (which can be even up to 2/3rds of the total cost).
Assistance you can depend on from King Group CES
We will provide:
- Free information on HES and HES grants, BER certification and assessments, application for concessions etc
- Improvements to building envelopes, insulation and moisture barriers, weather stripping. Fixing of low emissivity double glazing etc
- Modifications to building lay outs, orientations etc.
- Design Supply and installation of High Efficiency Heating, and ventilating equipment and controls including Pellet Boilers, Gasification Boilers under floor heating etc.
- Design supply and installation of Renewable Energy Systems such as Wind Turbines, Combined Heat and Power Plants, Geothermal systems, District Cooling and Heating systems, Heat Pumps, PV and thermal solar panels etc.
- Design supply and installation of Energy Recovery Ventilators
- Solar panel lighting, retrofitting low efficiency lighting systems with CFL, and LED lighting and controls etc.
- High efficiency pumping systems and controls etc
Contacting us
For further information on HES grants and Energy Efficient Homes callsave 045 840116 or please complete our free online enquiry form…click here
